Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power episode 4Did you catch Arondir's homage to Gandalf the Grey in One Ring's creation (an interpretation of them, at least) and shows ancient figures such as Elrond evolving into the characters everyone knows. Nevertheless, there are more differences than similarities in The Rings of Power. Middle-earth's map is completely different, the presence of Men is minimal, and Hobbits go by a completely different name.
Another major distinction between The Rings of Power and The Lord of the Rings is the former's depiction of Orcs. These foul servants of Morgoth and Sauron haven't been sighted for centuries when The Rings of Power begins, and once they do appear, they're a rougher, light-averse breed compared to the later generations who will face the Fellowship of the Ring. This small number of remaining Orcs follow a TV-original leader called Adar, and Ismael Cruz Córdova's elven archer Arondir is one of few in The Rings of Power to witness this growing army first hand...
As Arondir flees Adar's territory, he stops to rescue young Theo from becoming an orc's lunch. Helping the boy up, Arondir quietly utters, "They are coming." The line and its delivery feel like a direct homage to The Fellowship of the Ring - both the book and Peter Jackson's movie. As Frodo's crew roll through the Mines of Moria, they encounter Balin's tomb and a written of how Khazad-dûm fell. This diary ends with the hastily-scrawled warning "they are coming," which Ian McKellen's Gandalf reads out in his best chilling voice. Arondir's line in The Rings of Power doesn't completely fit his and Theo's circumstances (enemies are very much already there, after all), which suggests it's intentionally planted as a The Lord of the Rings callback... or callforward?
The Rings Of Power Has Finally Made Orcs Scary Again
Back in 2001, The Fellowship of the Ring, and Arondir's fear conveys how Orcs are no longer to be taken lightly.
The Rings of Power borrowing Gandalf's "they are coming" line perfectly captures how the Orcs have been returned to their former glory. Just as the scene in Balin's tomb represents an era when Orcs were among the very worst things one could possibly encounter in Middle-earth - for audiences as much as the Fellowship themselves - Arondir and Theo are witnessing the return of a race many believed died out centuries ago, elevating the elf's "they are coming" line beyond just a simple The Lord of the Rings Easter egg.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.